By ERICJAMES OCHIGBO

The House of Representatives has asked the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, to tender evidence of N2.4 trillion paid to contractors as approved by the Federal Government.

The Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu made this known in an interview with newsmen after a meeting with local contractors in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the meeting was part of series of engagements by the house to intervene and address the lingering protest of contractors over unpaid funds for contracts executed.

The lawmaker said that the demand became necessary as some local contractors complained of not being paid outstanding debts.

?We invited the bureaucrats, they said, yes, they have about N2.4 trillion that was approved for payment and out of this amount; they have paid up, leaving only N160 billion unpaid.

?It is commendable by this government to have approved such an amount of money, it is a great step towards the right direction and I thank the President through the Minister of Finance.

?They affirmed an extra N760 billion approved to take care of what is outstanding, which will the total to about N3.1 trillion.

?But I sent a clear charge to the Accountant-General?s office to give us the spreadsheet of those they have paid; we need to see how the government has paid N2.4 trillion and see people who are still standing on the sheet.

He said not clearing this is not giving the government a good image.

?How can we pay N2.4 trillion into the system and the same contractors are on the street? So, we want to verify and investigate to know whether these are the people who are paid, or the people who are claiming that they have worked.

?I also gave a clear charge to the contractors to ensure that what the government is paying for a job well done.

?We told them it would be wickedness to claim that a hospital has been built and lives are being lost because there is no hospital to attend to people, that schools have been built when students are learning under trees, that roads, farm roads, have been built when post-harvest destruction is still on the increase because there is no way to bring those things to cities,? he said.

He assured Nigerians that the National Assembly would continue to put pressure on the executive to honour its obligations while also holding contractors accountable for quality service delivery. (NAN)

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